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That's your problem, not societies. If naught else some kids will have parents and, hopefully, a stable loving family. You know, as opposed to wasting away in an orphanage or bouncing from being unwanted in a succession of foster homes. Your particular brand of homophobia may get you through the day but it doesn't help kids with no family of any type.

That's a 1970's perspective. Welcome to the 21st Century. What Bill said above is the key - "Intentional Families." Years of research by Dr. Manning would indicate that, "Beliefs that gay and lesbian adults are not fit parents, or that the psychosocial development of the children of gay and lesbian parents is compromised, have no basis in science. Our position is based on a review representing approximately 50 empirical studies and at least another 50 articles and book chapters and does not rest on the results of any one study. These articles appear in such journals as Developmental Psychology, the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, the American Psychologist, the Marriage and Family Review, the American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, and the journals of Family Relations, Sex Roles, and Social Work. An annotated bibliography on the topic can be found on the website of the American Psychological Association." You can read more about it if you're interested. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4091994/

The 38 people involved in the creation of Project 2025, 31 of them were nominated to positions in Trump's administration or transition team. Trump is Project 2025.

Yesterday I became one of only 33 non licensed skydivers in the world to have jumped a passenger jet. Blue skies! https://skydive.shredvideo.com/f/77ZJE6xB40

Not for a long time, if ever. There are still cars that use leaded gas, and I passed several Amish farms this afternoon (driving back from Ontario), where they were using horses and buggies. In a number of years, there may no longer be as wide a variety of gasoline cars, that’s it Wendy P.

Trump has his own "Agenda 47" amazingly it has nothing to do with Project 2025. Here is a comparison of the two (not created by me)

If bringing in a new line is too expensive; one may wish to reconsider their Tesla purchase.

Looks like Trump made a mistake when he denied knowing anything about Project 2025. Most Americans now realize that this is an admission that he DOES support the project (after all, his name appears in it ~300 times) and that it is designed for him. Since he said that, Google searches for Project 2025 have gone up by a factor of 10. Which is not the result he wants. His strategy so far has been to attack anything and everything democrats do, and promise some vague "beautiful" solution as an alternative that he never details. Like his "big, beautiful" replacement for Obamacare that was going to be done in two weeks - for his entire presidency. Now he has a problem, because Project 2025 calls out the goals, and the steps to get there, in great detail. And now reporters will be asking him about this feature or that feature as it's called out in the Project 2025 agenda and he will be in a tough place. He can admit that he supports whatever the Project 2025 agenda calls out - but that will make a liar of him after claiming that he knows nothing about it and it's "absolutely ridiculous and abysmal." And that will lose him some centrists. He can say he does NOT support what the project calls out, but that whole document is tons upon tons of red meat for his base. And if he starts going against THAT (say, he says he would not deport all aliens) then he starts losing his far-right but ambivalent supporters. As always, his mouth is his biggest enemy. https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=today 1-m&geo=US&q=Project 2025&hl=en

This is what mine looks like.

From TK: Stub UPDATE! I am happy to report that stub 675 which is from the tie knot will be delivered to McCrone this week. 675 should have lots of particles that came from his finger tips and holds the most unusual particles like the titanium antimony. I decided that we should go full bore on the best possible stub and told McCrone we want longer dwell times on each particle and go to the max on the number of particles to analyze. McCrone has assured us that the techniques they are using today are far more advanced than what we used back in 2017. We are expecting to get better analysis of particles we know to be on the stub as well as many never before seen particles. McCone said they have a "window" right now and should be able to get it scanned sooner than later. Myself and the rest of the particle team are anxiously awaiting the results and we will keep you posted as new things emerge. Unfortunately we will not be able to confirm the new particles until I get back to my lab beginning of October so lets keep our heads until final confirmation happens. New data! Exciting times! Tom Kaye

Good point. Apparently awareness of the world around you is at risk of ending when you stop jumping. I can see that in a few posters here.

I know a great many heterosexual couples who could not have kids on their own and adopted, or got donor sperm. They are just as much a part of the backbone of society as any other family. So the ability to have kids has little to do with being part of the "backbone" of society. Indeed, intentional families are generally stronger and more likely to stick together than the sort of accidental families many heterosexual people end up in.

You can quote society all you want, doesn't change anything. Also doesn't prove how a married, Christian family with a couple of kids is the only way...as is foreseen in project 2025. I think all of us are old enough to understand you need sperm and a woman to make babies.

If Trump wins in Nov, it will be a very long time before I step foot in the US again. The only thing that will count as being in the US, is when I have to go to the embassy to renew my passport.

By having kids and raising them. Note that sperm is VERY easy to get, and adoption is not hard.

You don't reward the people you visit for their hospitality? Do you even have friends that are willing to open their homes to hosting you??? We ALWAYS return favors in some fashion. It's what nice considerate people do. Hey Oren! We STILL owe you a dinner.

xactly. Heck, gas car drivers bribe the same guy all the time.

Were his lips moving?

There are a lot of other options. Dryer outlets work well and can get you between 5800 and 10,000 watts. The sort of extension cord adapter called a "quick 240" will get you 3000 watts. And it's often very easy to add an outlet right at the load center, then run an extension to where you need it. Years ago I had one of the first Leafs (short range) and I'd carry a spare breaker and extension cord. When I was visiting friends I knew, I'd just pop the breaker in their panel for an hour, charge, then take it out. That was sort of a pain in the butt actually, but it worked.

Trump is a master of propaganda hence the name Truth Social. Pravda was not named that by coincidence. Its like his walk back on abortion now to appeal to moderates. After election Project 2025 will be front and center. Its my understanding that conservatives have drafted it all. So Trump may not accept all of its platforms. But it will become core to the GOP future under Trump.

That’s funny

Hi Lippy, Biden is trying to push water upstream. He cannot change what we all saw at the debate. His health is not going to get better. Only, worse; and, at what rate? It is the future for all of us. Mother Nature makes the rules; and, she enforces them. Jerry Baumchen

Congratulations! Looks like you did a great job and had fun. Good on ya, dude! That guy right behind you in the exit lineup is Scott Smith, a longtime jumper. He's done some Hollywood stuff, and and was involved in training David Blaine for that balloon thing he did a while back. Again, congrats!! Black Death! ----------------- (Apologies to georger)

Sure but if they can't script oxy what good are they?

You are correct. The conversation was regarding medical doctors. Anyone with a PhD has my utmost respect.

Hi Joe, That is what I have posted before. However, the truth is that our votes [ yours & mine ] simply do not count much at all. Oregon is a solid blue state; Oregon would give Biden it's electoral votes even if you & I did not vote. It is those 'undecided' in the toss-up states that will determine this election. I don't like it; but, it is what it is. Jerry Baumchen

Hi Keith, This reply to you is only because you are a veteran. I worked in three different Air Force hospitals during my 4-yr hitch. Not one had a chiropractor on staff. Every doctor, and I mean EVERY, always said that a chiropractor was a nothing more than a charlatan. Jerry Baumchen

Except only one uses the term Doctor. I get where Jerry's coming from. Not long ago; Chiropractors went off the rails with claims of curing cancer, using homeopathic & naturopathic remedies and making "faith healer" type promises.

Hi Sky, I might be some exception, but I raised two teenagers as a single parent; beginning in 1992. I am probably biased; but, I think they both are doing really good in this world of ours. Jerry Baumchen

And the next guy and the next guy and the next guy….after three days you will have met the entire staff

Thread bump: This is a good alternative to traditional ripstop repair tape, however this thread may lead me to conclude there is no problem with the traditional repair tape. https://www.seattlefabrics.com/54-Insignia-Cloth-Adhesive-Backed-Polyester-2695-linear-yard_p_60.html I had heard some say traditional ripstop tape is best applied with heat (with a clothes iron) to seal the tape which is supposed to be put on both sides of the fabric to be repaired. The insignia tape has been on a canopy of mine for a few months, about 50 jumps or so on a few locations. It seems to be fantastic, there is no hint of the edges lifting or wear of the fabric itself. This stuff works great on jumpsuits, especially since it does not have the square weave pattern to set it apart visually. From the Seattle Fabrics website: Insignia Cloth Adhesive backed polyester fabric for numbers, letters, and graphic designs. No sewing is required. Printed grid pattern on adhesive paper makes this an easy job. The 54 inch wide roll from which this material is cut from opens it up to applications a narrow tape roll doesn't allow. What do you think?

The evidence for climate change causing more hurricanes is there, but it's not very strong. In the language of climate modelers, the signal there is weak. The strength of evidence for climate change causing bigger rain events, however, is very strong.

Hi tk, I will vote for Trump's opponent in Nov, no matter who it might be. I will no longer support Joe Biden financially. If he steps aside, I will probably support that person with my money. Jerry Baumchen

That’s pretty fucking weak dude….both from the ‘hey, look over there’ angle when your hurricane prediction absolutely shit the bed and also for attempting to conflate a trip she took to help her sick father with Cruz’s vacation getaway (for which he subsequently tried to throw his family under the bus)….just fucking weak, even for you

He loved the cartoon…

Chris Cunningham and I did a show last night for anyone interested. Also available on the DB Cooper Sleuth podcast on all apps.

Congratulations to the United Launch Alliance for a successful launch of their Vulcan booster. This is noteworthy for a few reasons, including the use of methalox engines (same fuel as the Starship uses.) It's much cheaper and cleaner than the normal kerosene/LOX engines most other vehicles use. It also takes strapon boosters the same way the Atlas did, which allows "tuning" of the lift capacity for lighter/heavier loads or lower/higher orbital velocities. (The top stage is a standard NASA developed upper stage.) Currently it's not competitive with the Falcon 9, so it's unsure where this will go. It may be that the ULA just wants someone to buy them out to get a working launcher, and then they get their payday. Or they may be banking on Musk crashing and burning and taking SpaceX with it; the government has already hinted they won't use SpaceX if their top management are doing drugs. Or, more of a long shot, they may be trying to make it reusable and therefore cheaper. They have floated a few somewhat out there strategies, including the engine section sprouting helicopter blades and spinning in for a landing, and a method where they snag it as it goes by with a helicopter. But they'll need $$$ and time to develop any of that.

I think it's possible/likely that you are not mistaken. When you included that quote in your post, it made me recall the early quotes, so I posted about it for general interest. The early Booth quote was particular to a certain time and context. When that moment had passed, and tandems did become commonplace, it was outdated. Part of my intent was to give Don Balch credit for his quote. Bill Booth is extremely safety/survival minded. His many contributions to the sport over the years show that. If you remember him saying that, I have no reason to disbelieve it.

Thanks for that information! My association to "it's not just another skydive" and Bill Booth is I recall him saying that in regards to everyone who had a camera and wanted to make money filming tandems, or everyone who wanted to chase them. I was obviously mistaken lol. I believe the reason why Mr. Booth set minimum experience and currency requirements to chase or film a tandem can be derived from that statement, even if he did not actually say that exactly. Thanks for the history lesson! The kids these days seem to have no interest in how we got here, but that is important to me.

I gave this a couple days to see if anyone else remembered this. I thought Rob might chime in, as he generally remembers the details of early developments like this. And we all know what time and aging brains can do to memories, so as always, if I'm wrong somebody can correct me. But this is how I seem to remember it... The quick answers are that Bill Booth said "It's just another skydive", and it was Don Balch who said 'It's NOT just another skydive". Who was right? Well that's the 'trick' part of the question. They both were. The difference was in the timing and context. To flesh that out... As with many things in our sport, there were earlier precursors to tandems. I think some of those have been described in these forums, and wasn't there an article in Parachutist not long ago? One that I don't recall seeing mentioned was, sometime in the 70's Jim Handbury made a tandem rig. He wasn't trying to invent anything or revolutionize student training, he just had a young handicapped family member that he wanted to take up, so he built a rig and did that. Anyway, when modern tandems were being developed, it was Ted Strong and Bill Booth who were designing, testing and refining, discovering the need for drogues, and what-not. They got it dialed in, and it was time to build rigs, issue TM ratings, and bring it on-line. Well, there was some hesitancy among jumpers. That's when Mr. Booth said, "It's just another skydive". He wasn't promoting complacency or downplaying the need for training and diligence, he was just saying that there was no reason that tandems should not become a common occurrence and mainstay of student training. And he was right. Well, build rigs and issue ratings they did. And tandems quickly became popular with the customers, and it took off. Well, jumpers started noticing that their TM buddies were making lots of student jumps and making decent money, not to mention 'the Lois Lane effect', and there came a surge of interest in the TM rating. That's when Don Balch said, "It's NOT just another skydive". He was not just reiterating the need for proper training and due diligence, but also noting that the proper motivation was required to make an appropriate TM. And he, too, was correct. It would not surprise me if Mr. Booth updated to the newer saying, because clearly it became the correct view.

Do you ask those folks if they trust the CYPRES or Vigil? And if they've seen the code for those?

Thank you for your encouraging comments! I too am excited about this AAD lol. The manufacture shelf life speck is 10 years for reference.